Caris LeVert started the season on a rough note after a strong finish to the 2016-17 season. His performances during the month of October were brutal, and he was not much better in November. The efficiency and efficacy of his post-All Star break run last season were gone; while his counting stats were better due to increased minutes, he was unable to convert shots at a decent clip. LeVert lost his starting spot early in November and has yet to regain it barring a couple of spot starts.

While LeVert has not returned to the starting lineup in December, his game is back in full force. He has taken a leap from the dramatic inefficiency of the first month and a half of the season and has been quite efficient since December 1. Additionally, he has been making better choices with the ball beyond just his shooting, as his assists have jumped well beyond his slight spike in turnovers. While Caris LeVert might be best as a starter in the long run, he has taken advantage of his time as a bench player in December after failing to do so during the previous two months. His December hot streak may evaporate just as quickly as his cold streak melted, but LeVert's improvement in December is difficult to overstate.

Before: Dazed and Confused

Caris LeVert's shooting in eight October games was truly abysmal. His 36/22/64 shooting splits left him with a True Shooting Percentage of 44.0%--well below the league average of 55% and close to the worst mark in the league. His November efforts were slightly better, but his True Shooting Percentage was still just 51.6% and he knocked down a concerningly low 55.6% of his free throws. His confidence appeared to be shaken:

LeVert knew this shot was off from when it left his hands, but it is still noteworthy that he started chasing down the rebound before the shot even hit the rim. While relying on a lucky bounce is never a good plan, LeVert chasing down this shot was simply a microcosm of the loss in confidence that was clear through his dramatic decline in his free throw accuracy.

After: Knock-Down Shooter

After LeVert's fall from grace in the first month and a half of the season, he started to put it together in December. Through December 23, LeVert is averaging 13.4 points and 4.6 assists per game in December, a decent jump from his averages of 11.5 points and 3.7 assists per game for the season. More importantly, LeVert has regained his shooting efficiency--his True Shooting Percentage is a stellar 60.8% and his 47/43/83 shooting splits are a far cry from his rough marks early in the season. LeVert's free throw improvements and three-point accuracy are certainly positive signs:

Caris LeVert's strong December may end up being as much of an outlier as his atrocious October. However, his shaken confidence in the first part of the season seems to have faded--LeVert is taking on more responsibilities with the ball in his hands, and his free throw shooting seems to be back on track. While the Nets as a team have struggled during the month of December, Caris LeVert's strong play is an encouraging sign for the future.